2024 Michael Lyng Motors SFC Quarter Final
Eire Og 1-6, MLR 0-6
By Stephen Bambrick
Eire Og’s grip on the Carlow SFC crown remains, but with 56 minutes on the clock in Netwatch Cullen Park there was the bare digit of a small finger holding on to that silverware when the game’s major turning point came and went in their favour against a now dominant MLR side leading by the minimum, 0-6 to 0-5.
A Kevin McDonald offload on the halfway line resulted in contact with Sean Gannon and possibly an MLR free, possibly not. Play continues when seconds later the recently introduced Adam McCarron breaches the MLR defence and is fouled.
With fellow sub Niall Quinlan cooly dispatching the spot kick, it’s now 1-5 to 0-6 and Eire Og’s first score for an astonishing 27 minutes. Their 2nd half performance where they were 2nd best the more it went on won’t need much pointing out. 8 wides to accompany their 6 from the 1st half, their opponents improving as the game developed, a game that itself won’t live long in the memory with a couple of instances of 10+ minutes without a score.
It was Eire Og who with the elements at their back saw Ross Dunphy (free) and Lee Moore (Shane Buggy with the assist) 2 points up on 4 minutes, Tony Lawlor’s 2 replies (one via the upright) missing the target, Edward Byrne’s free on 8 minutes followed Lawlor being fouled to open the MLR scoring.
Darragh O’ Brien rewarded Eire Og’s steady build up play with a fine point from 35m, a lot of the MLR attacks now breaking down on the Eire Og 45m line. The next 10 minutes were scoreless with shots dropping short from MLR while Eire Og’s shot selection was letting them down .
The shot selection or rather who was shooting did improve for Eire Og with Gannon on 21 minutes finding room to score, Colm Hulton likewise in the 29th minute, this after an MLR brace – Byrne nabbed his 2nd free (following Conaill Fitzpatrick being fouled), Chris Nolan weighing in too with a left footed effort to leave it 0-5 to 0-3 at the break.
We would be in the 12th minute of the 2nd half before the umpires were made use of again. Evan Kealy’s blocked effort rebounding to the same player, his resultant fouling giving Byrne the chance for his 3rd to narrow the gap to the minimum.
MLR were now starting to get on top in a lot of sectors, parity for the first time coming through the score of the game from the outside of the right by Chris Nolan on 48 minutes and the lead for the first time arriving in the 52nd minute, Shane Buggy almost snuffing out a through ball which went to Nolan, the outside of the left this time his weapon of choice, 0-6 to 0-5, the shock now very much on.
As mentioned at the start the 56th / 57th minutes saw the Eire Og penalty being awarded, coincidentally in to the same goal (scoreboard end) that they came back from the dead 3-1 in last years semi final shootout drama with Rathvilly.
Benny Kavanagh had the final say in added time leaving Eire Og 1-6 to 0-6 to the good and stumbling in to the semi finals to face Palatine.
Eire Og – Johnny Furey, Cathal Kelly, Shane Buggy, Benny Kavanagh (0-1), Alex Delaney, Mark Furey , Paul McEllligott, Sean Gannon (0-1) Kyle Nolan, Lee Moore (0-1) Darragh O’ Brien (0-1) , Kieran Nolan, Ross Dunphy (0-1f), Murtough Ware , Colm Hulton (0-1)
Subs – Diarmuid Ruth for Alex Delaney (41 mins)
Niall Quinlan for Kyle Nolan ( 49 mins)
Adam McCarron for Lee Moore (54 mins)
Kelvin Chatten for Murtough Ware (58 mins )
Josh Brady for Paul McEllligott ( 58 mins )
MLR – Willie Hickey, Michael Joyce, Sean Joyce, Tim Brennan, Richard Coady , Jon Nolan, Evan Kealy, Kevin McDonald, Tony Lawlor, Robert Stafford, Edward Byrne (0-3f), Joe Dundon , Chris Nolan (0-3) Conaill Fitzpatrick, Ted Joyce ,
Subs – Donagh Murphy for Joe Dundon ( HT )
Joey Dalton for Robert Stafford ( 44 mins )
Jack Griffith for Tim Brennan ( 60 mins )
Referee – David Hickey ( Fenagh )
